Poison Study

*****

5 Stars/5

After being arrested for murdering a general’s son, Yelena is spared the noose by becoming Commander Ambrose’s food taster, but whilst this is a dangerous enough job, she also has to avoid General Brazell’s men, escape assassination attempts on her life, survive the poison which the Commander’s Advisor, Valek, has given her to prevent her from escaping. All the while she discovers that she is developing magical abilities which are forbidden in Ixia.

This is a brilliant fantasy novel set in a world that is different from most others in this genre. The pacing of this book is really good and makes you want to stay up all night just to find out what happens next.

Yelena is a really interesting character who grows in confidence throughout the book and as you learn more about her past the more you realise how strong a person she is. Valek is also a really fascinating character who you would not want to get on the wrong side of, and whilst he is cunning and intelligent he is also very loyal.

Ari and Janco’s character’s as they add humour to the book and they also help Yelena out of her shell and become a bit surer of herself.

The romance is perfect in this book as it was not obvious from the beginning if there was going to be any, and if so with whom, but as the story went on it was there just enough to keep you rooting for them but not too much to overtake the story.

This is an excellent book which is perfect if you are looking to read a fantasy book that is in-between a YA and an adult novel. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes Trudi Canavan or Kristin Cashore.